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<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

a photo of Mary Giovagnoli, a fired Unaccompanied Children Ombuds

Interviews

An Interview With A Fired Unaccompanied Children Ombuds

Joy Binion, formerly a social science analyst at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMSHA

An Interview With A Terminated Analyst At The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Administration

David Roth

Anthony Santander of the Toronto Blue Jays rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels.

Politics

A Dumb New Way To Think About The Dismantling Of The Federal Government

An Interview With A Fired Contract Specialist At The Office Of Personnel Management

a photo of Chuck Sebian-Lander, a fired CFPB web manager. He is wearing a a shirt from my union, NTEU 335, and b) a lapel pin with the CFPB seal that he was given as part of a Director's award

An Interview With A Fired Web Content Manager At The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) (L) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) (R) speak about an alleged screenshot from the Instagram of USA Fencing board director Damien Lehfeldt during the hearing on “Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" held by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee at the U.S. Capitol on May 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. Green is holding a photo that makes it look like Lehfeldt is pointing at himself with his middle finger. Stansbury is holding up a larger capture of the same photo that shows him making a peace sign with the same hand.

The DOGE Fencing Hearing Was Stupid And Pointless Even By Congressional Standards

A photo of fired EPA program analyst Amanda Cronin holding the text of Executive Order 14096

An Interview With A Fired EPA Environmental Justice Program Analyst

a headshot for Charla Burnett, a fired science for development fellow at USAID

An Interview With A Fired Science For Development Fellow At USAID

Claire Sneed, a recently fired US Forest Service hydrologic technician

An Interview With A Fired U.S. Forest Service Hydrologic Technician

A headshot of Madyson Miller, a fired NOAA program analyst, in a blue sweater and golden light

An Interview With A Fired NOAA Program Analyst

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton attend the White House State Dinner for the President of Ukraine on November 22, 1994 in Washington, D.C.

Margin Of Error

The Era Of Meek Government Is Over

a photo of matt o'malley, a fired USDA agricultural engineer, smiling in front of mountains

An Interview With A Fired USDA Agricultural Engineer

a headshot of fired CDC health communications manager Sarah Boim

An Interview With A Fired CDC Health Communications Manager

Kathryn Xu

Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress

The DOGE Fencing Hearing Reveals The Latest In Anti-Trans Grift

A photo of a USAID education officer, Joel Runnels, standing in a field

An Interview With A Fired USAID Education Officer

Elon Musk speaks during a cabinet meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2025. He's backlit and is doing his Thinking Hands and is wearing a stupid hat. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

Podcasts

Beavises In The Code Base, With Tim Marchman

A photo of Jules Reynolds, a fired USDA program coordinator, sitting near a valley of farmland

An Interview With A Fired USDA Program Coordinator

a photo of Tara Kerin, an infectious disease epidemiologist who lost her job as a result of the DOGE layoffs

An Interview With An Epidemiologist Who Lost Her Job Because Of The DOGE Layoffs

a photo of Veronica Correa, a fired EPA public affairs specialist, standing in snowy woods by a stream

An Interview With A Fired EPA Public Affairs Specialist

A photo of Sara Hugentobler, a USFWS fish biologist, in the lab extracting DNA

An Interview With A Fired USFWS Fish Biologist

a photo of Kate Wheeler, a former USDA farm to school specialist. Kate has short brown hair and is smiling in front of several painted planks

An Interview With A Fired USDA Specialist

a selfie of Sarah Cooley, the former director of NOAA's ocean acidification program, with an orange life vest on a river

An Interview With A Fired NOAA Director

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) walks back towards the senate side of the building at the U.S. Capitol on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Tensions have flared over the shutdown within the Democratic caucus after Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Thursday that he will vote to advance a House-passed six-month government funding bill, despite opposition from many Democrats who argue it would create a "slush fund" for former President Trump and Elon Musk.

Chuck Schumer Is Responsible

a photo of Sabrina Valenti, formerly a budget analyst for NOAA. Sabrina has brown curly hair and is standing against a floral background.

An Interview With A Fired NOAA Budget Analyst

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

The Virgin River flows through the valley floor as viewed on November 9, 2019 in Zion National Park, Utah

DOGE